The Strongest
Renowned artist Martine Syms directed this piece to a poem by Nikky Finney for a Nike x LeBron James shoe release. There’s a lot of commercial / music video / branded content work I could choose from, but this is a favorite both because it is a powerful and beautiful piece of art and because it led to more collaborations with Martine and her editor Nicole Otero.
Beyond The Summit
The film is about how elite athlete Kit Deslauriers used her unique skill set to become a citizen scientist in the fight against drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. The film was used in the successful lobbying of Biden to cancel oil leases in the area.
I produced this film right after moving back home. It inspired me to find local stories about people using their unique skillsets towards climate adaptation and mitigation in South Louisiana. The result is an oral documentary / podcast in late research phase. The team includes Lafayette’s Independent news organization The Current and consulting producer Theo Balcomb, who started NYT’s “The Daily”
Footwork
When I moved back home two years ago, I wanted to focus on helping locals tell local stories to combat parachute journalism. Drake LeBlanc is a creative force who I was eager to support in making his first personal film. The stories of Trail Riding and Black Cowboy communities have been told by many outside of Louisiana, not to mention outside the community itself. My work with him included countless mentor meetings and securing the #CreateLouisiana $25k grant.